The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and methods for presenting audio and video content on a plurality of display devices using a single home gateway server. The apparatus and methods also allow the user of at least one of the display devices to signal the gateway home server to change transmission frequencies in response to a user request.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The white space spectrum comprises unused frequency bands primarily in the FM and television signal bandwidths. New government regulations have enabled the use of this unused bandwidth for use by wireless interfaces within the home. Previously, computers and set-top boxes were required to access content through hard wired transmission means, such as coaxial cable or Ethernet cable, or were restricted to transmitting on dedicated frequencies often shared by wireless networks and cordless telephones where those frequencies were outside of the FM and television bands.
Devices that take advantage of white space, called white space devices (WSD) are designed to detect the presence of existing signals, such as TV stations and other wireless users, and to then avoid the use of these channels. WSD then transmit and receive information on the unused portions of the spectrum, or the white space. Detection can include sensing signals within the spectrum, or using GPS and receivers databases of known transmitters within the area. The databases can be updated via the internet, known transmitters, or by the WSD themselves.
In operation, the WSD may search the allowable spectrum for a frequency band not in use. The WSD will then transmit the channel to be monitored to the display device or a device which controls the channel selection of the display device. The display device then tunes the channel as indicated by the WSD so that the viewer can view the information transmitted by using a standard tuner installed in the device or associated with the device.
A problem with traditional WSD operation is that new transmitters may come online after the WSD has begun transmitting on the white space channel and the WSD may then interfere with the new transmitter. A method and apparatus for detecting new transmitters would be desirable to overcome this problem.